Full Guide to Everything Zero Suit Samus

New Contact Info: Bsb316@gmail.com

I am now a part of the Colorado Smash Community

With Smash Ultimate on the horizon, I thought I would give this guide one last update. I will update it for the current smash 4 meta, cut for clarity, simplify grammar and sentence structures, add new strings and ideas from more modern ZSS players, update the secondaries section, etc. I hope you've all enjoyed the guide and I hope more people will continue to get use out of it. see y'all in Smash Ultimate.

SO to @Skoolzout1 for his thread on labbing these combos. If you do not know what a Frame Sync is, please read this link. ZSS can benefit greatly from frame synced aerials. some combos include:

Bair-Down B (early mid percent)
Nair-Up B (mid-high mid percent)
Guaranteed Nair-Dsmash at more percents
Guaranteed Nair-Down B at more percents

Here is the thread discussing ZSS and these combos.

Zss got hit with some nerfs in 1.1.4 and 1.1.5 (we are currently in 1.1.6, but she has been unchanged since 1.1.5). Here they are:

1.1.4

• 
  Weight slightly decreased: 81 → 80.
• 
  Boost Kick has slightly lower launch angle (50° → 48°). While it allows opponents to DI downward more effectively to avoid upper blast line early KOs from the center of the stage combined with slightly less knockback, this makes it easy for opponents to be KOed offstage and slightly more difficult to survive by DIing upward at high percent.
• 
  Boost Kick's knockback growth decreased (220 → 209), making it slightly weaker, now KOing 5% later from the center stage and 2% later near the ledge.

1.1.5

• 
  Nair deals less damage: 10% → 8%, though with its knockback compensated (40 base/80 scaling → 38/96). Additionally, some of its hitboxes have less range (hitbox 1 front: 6u → 5.7u, hitbox 1 back: 6u → 5.6u).
• 
  Nair has modified stretch positioning (hitbox 1 front X-axis: 11 → 10, hitbox 2 front X/Y-axis: 20/7.5 → 19/7, hitbox 1 back X/Y-axis: 9/14.6 → 6.6/13.8, hitbox 2 back X/Y-axis: 16/17 → 15/16.5). This gives it less horizontal range, but it can now hit small characters on the ground.
• 
  Uair deals less damage: 8% → 6.5%, though with its knockback scaling compensated (110 → 125).
• 
  The last active frames for all of her grabs are 4 frames shorter without its ending lag compensated: frame 29 → 25. This makes it more difficult to grab opponents out of their rolls or sidesteps with all of her grabs.
• 
  Bthrow's second hit deals more damage (4% hit 2/8% total → 6%/8% total).

• 
  Bthrow has increased knockback (25 base/70 scaling → 45/72), making it much more difficult to followup with Flip Jump's kick to KO the opponent.
• 
  Dthrow's second hit deals less damage (7% total → 5% total), though its knockback was also slightly increased (25 base/100 scaling → 60/90), making it somewhat more difficult to combo opponents at low percents.
• 
  Plasma Whip has been improved: the first hit has more base knockback (80 → 100), the loops hits deal slightly more damage (.8% → 1.2%), the final hit deals more damage (6% → 7.5%), and various adjustments have been made to allow all of its hits to connect better. It also has less ending lag (27 → 24 frames).

Keep in mind that with Uair and Nair, the damage decreases make combos involving these moves work at slightly later percents than before.

Hey everybody. So I have made a few revisions to the guide, mostly in terms of grammar, clearer phrasing, and redefining info on some of her moves. A new section has been added about ledge gameplay, which is a vital part of any smasher's gameplay. I have also added some important aspects to her weaknesses, as well as updated everything for the current patch. I will always review everything once patch changes happen, so rest assured that what you are reading is current and relevant. I have a few goals for the progress of the guide.
1. Add in a "countering Zero Suit Samus" section, which can give insight for players looking to beat Zamus, as well as ZSS players knowing what options to look out for and hopefully read in an opponent. Hopefully also include a character list for her bad matchups (with descriptions of course).
2. add in starting and ending frames for all of her moves, as well as percents for combos, that way i do all the math instead of you, giving you the optimal punish.
3. have the guide reviewed by other competitive players. guides like this I believe should not be just the opinions of one person. The most important thing I need is feedback, so please rate the guide and/or message me about anything you feel should be changed or added into the guide.
4. For the stage section, i plan to summarize each viable stage in order to give a more in depth description of ZSS's best options.

Patch 1.1.1 increased the shield stun in SSB4. moves that hit shields will now force people to stay in their shields for longer, making some moves safer on shield. Fortunately this includes ZSS's important Neutral Air! That's right, ZSS's Nair is now safer on shield! it is not totally safe on shield, but the extra frames ZSS has to get away make the move much more effective. Because ZSS spaces with Nair so much, this is a pretty big buff.

Our main ZSS representative Liquid Nairo ended TSM ZeRo's undefeated tournament win streak of over 50 tournaments. Here is the link to the incredible match: MLG 2015 Super Smash Bros for Wii U Finals ZeRo vs Nairo

• 
  Aspire to be great! Remember that consistency with early death combos is what every ZSS should strive for. Congrats to Liquid Nairo. He is an amazing player and role modle for ZSS players.